


The Beansprout Nanny

by darkbrokenreaper



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Corporate Powers, Domestic Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, Twins, nanny - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-15
Updated: 2016-03-12
Packaged: 2017-12-15 00:41:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/843312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkbrokenreaper/pseuds/darkbrokenreaper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU The Head of Mugen Co. is in need of a nanny and Allen is enlisted for the job. In between babysitting two rambunctious little twins, fending off an eight-year-old stalker, and his budding feelings for his boss, Allen has his hands full!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beansprout-y Nanny

Chapter 1: The Beansprout-y Nanny

"Yuu-papa!" Lavi chirped brightly, running into his father's arms. "Lenalee, Yuu-papa is home!"

"Daddy!" Lenalee shouted joyfully, following after Lavi. She crashed into Kanda's legs with a "whumph!'' and quickly unwrapped her arms from around his leg. She jumped up and down, holding her hands up to be carried. "Up, up!"

Kanda set his briefcase down and scooped both of his children into his arms. Lenalee and Lavi giggled as they were bounced by the sudden change in elevation.

"Welcome home!" both of them squealed as Kanda nuzzled their cheeks affectionately.

"I thought I told you not to call me by my first name, little rabbit," Kanda said, glaring half-heartedly at Lavi.

"It's because I love you!" Lavi declared with all the conviction a five-year-old could muster. His small hands circled around his father's neck.

"Daddy, daddy!" Lenalee chimed in, tugging lightly at Kanda's shirt. "I want a hug too!"

Kanda leaned closer to her and allowed his little girl to encircle his neck from the other side. She snuggled her face into his neck as a woman stormed from the living room.

"That's it, you disgusting little brats!" the nanny shouted, sending Lenalee and Lavi a hateful glare. Her blonde hair was covered with soap and scraps of food and her clothing was smeared with jelly and pudding. Her face was dyed an odd shade of tomato red, and her fury matched her current skin tone.

Kanda could feel Lavi shake with hidden laughter. He knew that Lavi and Lenalee had most likely rigged the dishwasher to explode. Lavi was a genius who schemed of every possible prank for their nannies and Lenalee, despite her shy demeanor around everyone except a select few, was the one who carried out the plans her brother concocted. Secretly, Kanda was glad that Lavi and Lenalee were so mischievous. It was his screening process for the nannies that took up the job for babysitting his two children. If she couldn't take care of herself from two five year-olds, then she certainly wasn't qualified to take care of them.

It was also damn good amusement for him. He set down Lenalee and Lavi. They ran and hid behind his legs, peeking out behind them with twin grins.

She stared back at Kanda with a look of surprise and shock. "Oh, Kanda-san! I didn't know you were here!" Her face adopted a coy look and she discreetly tried to fix her clothing and her hair. "I was just going to send the children to bed."

A man in a tuxedo suit came in. He held a deflated ball, the violet one that Kanda had bought Lenalee for her birthday. By the looks of it, the ball looked as if it had been punctured by a knife. Kanda raised an eyebrow at him.

"Master Kanda," Marie, the butler greeted with a cordial bow. "Welcome home."

Kanda nodded in acknowledge to Marie before his glare centered back to the nanny who fidgeted under his gaze.

Pathetic. Kanda thought in his head as he openly sneered at her.

"Kanda-san, I can explain," the nanny started but Kanda's icy glare silenced her.

"You're fired," Kanda said sharply. "Get out of my house before I call security. It's obvious that you can't take care of yourself let alone my children."

"But I-," the nanny began.

"Get. Out," Kanda interrupted in a harsh voice. The nanny opened her mouth as if to protest again but then shut it. She composed herself as much dignity as she could (which was not that dignified considering that jelly and pudding still dripped around her), turning her nose up with an air of indifference and left the mansion.

"Bye bye!" Lavi laughed and waved smugly. When the doors closed, Lavi burst into conversation, "That was so funny, Lenalee! Did you see her face? And her clothes? She was dripping all over the floor too!"

"It was super funny!" Lenalee exclaimed, clapping her hands joyfully.

Kanda watched his beloved children babble on and on about their latest successful prank. He knelt down until he was eye level with them.

"Lavi, Lenalee," Kanda said. "You shouldn't play pranks on your nannies. It makes for a hell of a time trying to find a new nanny for you two."

"But she popped Lenalee's ball!" Lavi protested. "She pulled a knife from the kitchen and told us we couldn't play anymore because we were noisy and then popped the ball with it!"

Kanda twitched and he felt himself grow angry. A knife? Holding such a dangerous object in front of his children was unacceptable and he was glad that Lavi and Lenalee had taken care of it by themselves. He knew that he was raising two children who would grow up to be strong, capable people. But he still had to act like a parent in these situations. He put his hands over Lavi's and Lenalee's head in a comforting gesture.

"You still shouldn't do that," Kanda explained patiently. "Now promise me that you won't play pranks on nannies again."

"We promise Yuu-papa," Lavi replied innocently but Kanda could see Lavi and Lenalee cross their fingers behind their backs. Kanda sighed. That would the best he would get out of them.

"What do you guys want for dinner?" Kanda asked.

"Spaghetti!" Lenalee shouted. At the same time Lavi had shouted, "Cake!"

Kanda allowed a rare smile cross his face. He only smiled around his two children. "Spaghetti and cake it is."

In his mind, he made a note to find a new nanny by tomorrow. Come to think of it, hadn't Cross, that damn drunkard from the Black Order Company, recommend someone? As much as he hated Cross for his notorious womanizing ways and reckless spending, the man had been useful when it came to hiring people who did well in their jobs and inventing new gadgets that were big sellers in their corporation. He vaguely recalled a conversation where the womanizer had offered up his apprentice as the perfect nanny.

He'd have to call him up, after making dinner for his two angels.

"What?" Allen asked, flabbergasted. He stopped washing the dishes momentarily and the soapy plate in his hand slipped back into the sink without notice despite the loud crash that it made.

Cross frowned when he heard the dish break as it clattered in the sink. The brat would pay for that after the discussion.

"You'll be working as a nanny for the Mugen Company's head CEO," Cross repeated. He frowned more deeply; he hated repeating himself especially for this worthless brat.

Allen seemed oblivious to the blatant annoyed look that Cross was giving him. His chrome-plated eyes widened with confusion.

"A-a nanny?" Allen asked incredulously. Cross nodded slowly, cursing Allen's slow wits. He stared at the empty wine glass in his hands, wishing that it was filled and that he was drunk when he was talking to his apprentice. He always felt this way when talking to Allen. The idiot could be so dense sometimes that Cross had to physically beat sense into him with a hammer.

"The fucking long-haired brat has two bratlings," Cross responded. "Twins; a boy and a girl. They've been turning away every single nanny since they were old enough to walk." He swilled the empty glass, willing it to fill up. "Which is why the Kanda brat is offering a lot of money for anyone to babysit his kidlets."

"I won't do it," Allen deadpanned. He brushed his white hair behind his ears and turned back to washing the dishes.

Cross felt anger slowly build up. His hand reached for the handy hammer that he kept strapped to his belt. It had been there ever since he had taken Allen in and had never left him.

"Why the hell not?" Cross asked, a threat lacing his words. "It pays good money and if you accept it, you won't have to do any side jobs. You get to live there too, all expenses paid so you won't have to live in this shithole anymore."

"You just want me out of the house!" Allen accused, spinning around quickly. He dried his hands and pulled a bottle of wine from the top cabinet.

"What gave it away?" Cross sneered. "Accept the job or I'll fucking blow your head to pieces."

Allen stiffened. He was used to the threats and he knew that Cross, being the sadistic master that he was, would follow through with that threat.

"I don't work well with children!" Allen protested. He quieted and whispered, "They'll think I'm disgusting."

Allen sat down and popped open the wine. He stared somberly at the liquid; people avoided cursed, ugly children like him so he was used to the disgusted faces and the curious yet mean stares. When he was little, he was picked on for his weird arm and it made him so miserable as a child. Seeing children sneer at his odd appearance was like reliving that childhood over and over again on their young faces. The hate, the scorn, and the humiliation was too much for Allen to see on children let alone adults so Allen tried his best to hide his arm with gloves.

"They don't need to love you," Cross quipped as he held his wine glass out. Allen dutifully poured him a glass. "They just need a person who won't throw herself at the Kanda brat's feet or fawn over his children in an attempt to get closer to him. Although-" Cross took a sip of the wine and sighed, "-God knows why anyone would like the ill-tempered bastard."

"But-," Allen began.

"You start working tomorrow," Cross cut in. "Someone will come pick you up and take you there. And don't you dare think of quitting. I don't want to see your ugly face here anymore so you better keep that job."

Allen groaned and slammed his head into his arms. With his face in his arms, he didn't see Cross's face spread into a wry smile.

"So this is the Kanda mansion," Allen mused. He stared with awe at the huge expanse of the property. The mansion was a soothing white color with blue tones. There was a large yard in front complete with a bubbling fountain and a myriad of flowers. The whole scene was so picturesque that it seemed to come from the fairytales that Mana had read to him when he was little.

"Mister Walker," Toma, the chauffeur, asked. "We have arrived."

As if Toma really needed to say anything.

The car stopped in front of the house and Allen walked up to the front gate. Up close, the wooden double doors were bigger than he had expected and it intimidated him.

Taking a deep breath, he rang the door bell. The door opened without a creak despite their size and a man with headphones dressed in a suit stepped out.

"Welcome, Mister Walker," the man whom Allen assumed was the butler smiled politely. "We've been expecting you. I'm Marie Noise, the Kanda family's butler." Allen smiled back nervously.

"G-Good morning," Allen stuttered, bowing slightly. He licked his dry lips, cursing his sudden panic. "I'm here for the position of nanny."

A look that Allen could decipher passed through Marie's face but it was gone as quickly as it came. Marie smiled mysteriously and ushered Allen in.

"Please come in and make yourself at home," Marie said. "The children will be coming in soon." He led Allen through marble corridors decorated with soft plush rugs and into a large sitting room filled with elegant yet modern furniture. Most of it was Oriental, Allen noted. On one wall, there was a fireplace and mantle.

Pictures of two children and an adult decorated the mantle as well as an odd-looking hourglass that had a blossoming lotus in it. In every picture, Allen could see the faces of smiling children and the father. Allen looked at the pictures yearningly. They looked so perfect.

Two children, a redheaded boy with emerald eyes and a girl with violet eyes and pigtails ran into the room. The boy was leading the way and the girl, holding a green ball in her hands, trotted after him merrily.

"The nanny's here, the nanny's here," both of them sang, skipping around the seat where Allen was. Allen watched with conspicuous awe on his face.

They're so beautiful. Allen thought.

"Here they are," Marie smiled. The children gathered around Marie's legs, peeking at Allen shyly. Marie put a hand behind each of their backs and gently pushed them forward. They stumbled a bit before running and clutching onto Allen's dress pants. Allen jumped from the unexpected movement and held both of their bodies close so they wouldn't fall.

"I'll leave you to get acquainted with and take care of the children," Marie explained. "There is a list on the refrigerator in the kitchen of what needs to be done today. Emergency numbers are also on there in case anything happens. Food is prepared on the kitchen table for breakfast and lunch. I will return in the afternoon to assist with dinner. The Master Kanda might be returning home early today so please do not be alarmed when you see him. Your room is next to the children's, on the left. All of your belongings have been moved in already so please make yourself at home."

"Okay," Allen said and nodded. Truthfully, he was having a hard time processing all the information. He was afraid he was going to forget something and get fired. Then he'd have to face Cross and the hammer. Memories of the tool connecting with his head made him wince in pain. "Have a safe trip, Mr. Marie."

"Bye Marie!" Lavi waved.

"Bye Marie!" Lenalee echoed, waving her hand frantically.

Marie said his goodbyes, hugging each other the children and took a pair of car keys from a rack that contained at least five sets of keys. As soon as they heard the door close, Lavi and Lenalee turned to their new nanny. Allen felt his heart pound when he saw violet and emerald eyes stare at him with wonder. He knew that they were staring at his scar and his pale hair. He saw the silent judgment in their eyes and for a second, panic showed on his face.

He shouldn't be doing this. He wasn't kidding when he said he literally had no experience with children. As a baby, he had been adopted by Mana, his beloved foster father, and he lived with him, happy as a child could be. His odd appearance made other children stay away though, depriving him of a normal childhood. When Mana died and he was taken in by Cross, his interaction with people in general, except for jobs and gambling, became nonexistent.

Twin grins broke out on Lenalee's and Lavi's face. Suddenly, the fear dissipated and Allen found himself smiling too.

"I'm Lavi!" he pointed at himself.

"I'm Lenalee," she grinned shyly. Her hand took her brother's in a tight grasp, Allen noticed. She must be the more withdrawn twin of the two.

Allen let out a quiet sigh of relief; it seemed that he was accepted.

"I'm Allen Walker but you can call me Allen if you want," he said brightly. There was a tense silence after that and Allen didn't know what to do.

"Are you our new nanny, Allen-nanny?" Lavi asked. Allen nodded quickly.

"I guess I am."

Allen glanced at the clock in the room and stood up. Might as well get the day started.

"Time for breakfast," Allen announced. Automatically, both children tensed and their faces welled up. The familiar panic settled in Allen again and he wondered briefly if he had upset them.

"We don't want breakfast," Lavi sulked petulantly. "Breakfast is for sissies."

"Yeah, sissies," Lenalee echoed after her brother. She stared at the ball in her hands. "I want to play outside," she declared, holding the ball up.

Allen felt sweat coat the back of his neck and ran his hands through his hair. They were going to be a handful.

"Well," Allen started. He floundered with compromises in his mind. He was really bad with children. "How about we have breakfast then I can take you outside to play for the rest of the afternoon?"

Again, there was the silent communication that Allen didn't understand.

"Okay," Lavi and Lenalee nodded in sync.

"Would you please take me to the kitchen?" Allen asked, taking Lavi's hand. Lavi nodded and lead the way. Another hand pulled at his free hand and stopped him. Lavi looked at Lenalee and then dropped Allen's hand with a shrug. He continued on without them.

"Allen," Lenalee pleaded, holding her free hand up to him. He was confused with the motion. It finally occurred to him that Lenalee wanted to be carried and he smiled, pulling the girl up until she rested comfortably on his hip. Lenalee looked surprised but then giggled and snuggled her face into his shoulder.

"Let's go find your brother," Allen murmured, setting off in the direction where Lavi went.

The kitchen was just as marvelous as the rest of the house. It was spotless, filled with state-of-the-art appliances, and more food than Allen had seen in his life.

Allen looked at the porridge that was set out for them. It looked gooey, lumpy, and not at all appetizing. There were also a few dishes of pickled vegetables and fish, and they did not look appealing to a five year-old either.

No wonder these children don't like breakfast. Allen thought. He certainly wasn't going to eat that so he saw no point in trying to force the children to eat it.

Racking his brain, he thought of his favorite breakfast food from his childhood. He thought back to Mana, his foster father, and the mornings that he spent with him.

"Do you guys want to make pancakes instead?" Allen asked, kneeling down to their height.

Lenalee and Lavi looked awed. Most nannies would demand them to eat the breakfast set out for them or skip breakfast altogether and let them have their way.

"Ummm... Allen-nanny?" Lavi asked hesitantly. "What are pancakes?"

Oh! Allen thought. Their father is Japanese. They probably haven't had a lot American food.

"They're American flat cakes," Allen replied. He struggled with describing them, "Umm... they're flat sheets of spongy dough and umm... they taste really good with maple syrup and butter."

Lenalee and Lavi looked incredulous. They stared at each other with skeptical looks and then back at Allen who waited patiently for them with a gentle smile.

"Yu-papa said that American food is only fit for back alley scum and dogs," Lavi mildly commented, hoping to crush their nanny's hope of getting to know them.

Allen felt his eye twitch. What had their father taught these children? Allen sighed and put his hands on his hips.

"Well, your father probably hasn't tried pancakes before!" Allen said with conviction. "We'll try pancakes first but if you don't like them, we can try something else."

Again, silent judgment passed between the two. Immediately, Lavi clung onto Allen's leg, earning an 'oof' from Allen.

"Yeah!" Lavi answered for them. "Pancakes! I want to try!"

He scurried into some corridor where Allen assumed they kept the flour and other food items.

"I want to help," Lenalee answered, pulling shyly on Allen's pant legs. Allen beamed down on her and took her small hand in his.

"Would you like to lead me to the pantry then?" Allen asked with a soft smile on his face. Lenalee nodded and ushered him near large, double doors.

Lavi and Lenalee both stood at the edge of the door and Allen assumed that they weren't allowed inside.

He found a pair of little purple and green aprons that were crisp and new, showing barely any use. Lenalee and Lavi squirmed excitedly as he helped them put the aprons on. He found another dark blue apron of normal size for himself and went through the task of gathering ingredients.

Lenalee and Lavi held out their arms obediently, waiting for Allen to load ingredients into them before running back to the kitchen to set them down and then hurrying back again.

Allen followed them into the kitchen and rummaged in the fridge for anything worth using while Lenalee and Lavi pulled out a bowl from the cupboard. Allen found it cute how it took both their combined efforts to lift the huge mixing bowl onto the table.

"How about we make blueberry pancakes?" Allen asked, pulling out a small carton of said item from the refrigerator.

"Yeah!" Lenalee and Lavi cheered.

They spent the afternoon making pancakes. Allen was awed with the children's willingness to participate. They were so adorable and helped him whenever he needed. Seeing their faces covered with flour and eggs was so endearing. He was at ease with the kids and all the nervousness and the panic from before seemed silly now.

So this is what it's like to be with other kids. Allen thought with a smile.

He was careful to keep the children away from the stove as he cooked the pancakes. Watching them 'ooh' and 'aah' whenever he flipped a pancake high in the air made him giggle.

"These are nummy," Lavi said, taking another bite of his honey-coated pancakes. Allen hadn't been able to find maple syrup and substituted honey instead. The twins enjoyed them thoroughly, asking for seconds and thirds. Allen himself had engulfed half the pancakes they made much to the fascination of Lavi (and Lenalee who was too polite and shy to show it).

"You've got honey on your cheek," Allen said gently, taking out a handkerchief and rubbing Lavi's cheek clean.

Silent judgment was passed between the two again.

"Allen, we want you to stay forever," Lenalee mumbled. Her face turned a bright shade of pink and she busied herself with eating the rest of her pancake.

Allen grinned. She was so adorable! "I will. Your father hired me as the nanny after all."

"No, Allen-nanny," Lavi clarified, staring him with piercing green eyes. "We want you to be our new mommy."

Allen choked on the pancake he was eating, and groped frantically at the air when it stayed lodged in his throat.


	2. Chapter 2

Allen had fallen out of his chair and had to suffer little fists beating incessantly on his chest in an attempt to dislodge the pancake stuck in his throat.

"Live, Allen-nanny!" Lavi shouted like the paramedics he saw on tv. He punched his fists into Allen's chest just like them too for added effect. "Live!"

Lenalee started crying as she assisted Lavi in beating Allen's chest. "Live, Allen!"

The pancake had long gone down his throat and Allen was trying frantically to catch his breath but as each thump beat down, he felt the oxygen that he desperately needed be pushed out from him.

"S-Stop!" Allen huffed, groping the air urgently. "STOP!"

"He's... alive!" Lavi cackled like that one movie he saw on tv.

"Yay, he's alive!" Lenalee shouted joyfully, throwing her little arms into the air in celebration.

Allen sat up and took a few precious deep breaths. His head swam from the lack of air and he allowed himself a few moments before turning back to expectant faces.

"Allen-nanny, why did you choke?" Lavi asked innocently with heartrendingly sad green eyes. "Do you not want to be our new mommy? Yu-papa would love you because me and Lenalee love you."

Lenalee nodded furiously. "Daddy would love you for sure!"

Allen thought it was sweet how accepting they were of him. They were so beautiful and kind; their father must be just as caring and compassionate to raise such lovely children. He secretly envied them because of his lost childhood. He would never know what it would be like to be a true child but taking care of the twins made him relive the happier moments of his own past, ones without Cross.

"I'm sorry but I don't think that I can be your mommy," Allen said serenely, patting their hair. "There must be someone out there better than me." Like a woman, Allen said in his mind. "So how about I umm… help you find a better mommy?"

He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. Lavi and Lenalee sucked in their breaths and their eyes widened as if they had been stabbed.

Holy shit, Allen Walker, he thought anxiously. What the hell are you getting yourself into?

"Why?" Lavi inquired desperately, grabbing Allen's shirt front. "Allen-nanny is the perfect mommy! You care about us right?"

Expectant violet and emerald eyes stared up at him. His will crumbled under their gaze. In a matter of hours, Allen felt himself being pulled in by their adorable faces. He knew he could never say 'no' to them now.

"I do, I do," Allen appeased, trying hard to reason with them, "But you've only known me for a few hours. Maybe in the future, you'll want a better mommy."

Lenalee and Lavi gave him a look of pure horror as if he had said blasphemy. There was a long silence and Allen shrunk under their gaze.

"Do you hate us because we're not perfect?" Lavi asked despondently, ignoring Allen's explanation.

"We're sorry if we played pranks on the mean lady who popped my ball!" Lenalee wailed. Lavi caught on quickly and followed with his own declaration.

"I'm sorry for making the dishwasher machine explode!" Lavi shouted. And at once, Lenalee and Lavi began confessing every little sin they could think of. Allen felt his eye twitch as the children went into detail about every trick they had pulled against their nannies. He was amazed at how creative they were in their plans of getting rid of their nannies.

"I'm sorry that I put bubblegum in nanny number twenty-seven's hair!" Lavi screamed.

This is quite enough, Allen sighed internally, rubbing his temples.

"Lavi, Lenalee," Allen hushed. When they ignored him and continued their tirade, he tried again. "Lavi, Lenalee!" They continued to ignore him. By now, Lenalee was in tears and Lavi's cheeks had turned bright red with the effort of reciting every single wrongdoing. Allen sighed and quickly pulled both children into a hug. "Calm down," Allen whispered. The fact that Allen had hugged them and talked to them quietly seemed to have a profound effect on the twins. Immediately, they stopped and stared at him with wonder.

Lenalee put her thumb in her mouth, a gesture she did after crying or when she was confused. Lavi's gaze went from Lenalee to Allen and back to Lenalee again. No one had been able to calm her down as quickly as Allen except for their father and sometimes, Marie.

Allen hugged Lenalee and Lavi a little closer and gave them each a soft gaze. Their attention stood riveted on Allen.

"I don't hate you and it's not because you're not perfect," Allen murmured in the same soothing voice. "It's because I'm not the perfect mother. You little children deserve someone better. So please stop crying."

"But you are the perfect mommy!" Lenalee insisted, pulling her thumb from her mouth and tugging his shirt as if to keep him grounded to her.

"Yeah, yeah!" Lavi affirmed, tugging the other side of his shirt. "You make us pancakes, and you are nice to us, and you're so pretty! Like Cinderella in that movie!"

The last part came out as odd to Allen. No one had called him pretty before. He was called adorable yes, but never pretty. And he had never been compared to Disney Princesses either. A thought struck Allen and his chrome-plated eyes widened.

"Wait, you children do know that I'm male, right?" Allen asked uncertainly. Blank, curious stares answered him. He felt a lump form in his throat.

"What does 'male' mean?" Lenalee piped up with large violet eyes.

Please don't tell me... Allen begged mentally.

"It means that I'm a man," Allen explained patiently. In his mind, he desperately held on to his last threads of masculinity.

Lenalee's and Lavi's eyes widened. Allen felt his stomach sink in dread. No freaking way.

"EH?" they shouted in disbelief. It was appalling how quickly Allen felt all his manly pride fall before him.

Lavi squirmed out of Allen's arms and poked Allen's chest. Lenalee patted Allen's face and touched his arms in a curious manner. She tugged on his white hair and examined the strands as if they held the mystery to his androgyny. All through this examination, Allen felt his pride sink lower and lower as if he was physically being beaten.

"You're a guy!" Lavi yelped in incredulity.

Oh dear Lord, Allen thought with alarm. They thought I was a woman!

Years of poker experience was the only thing that kept Allen from breaking down and staying in some corner of the room. He took a few deep calming breaths, holding his nose between thumb and forefinger to stop an incoming migraine and then faced Lenalee and Lavi again.

"Yes, I am a male," Allen repeated with a small, wavering smile. He saw both of their small bodies wilt with disappointment and panicked again. "I'm really sorry but I can't be your mommy."

Both Lenalee and Lavi looked downtrodden and heartbroken as they huddled close to him. Even they knew that the prince didn't fall in love with the other prince in the fairytales.

"But I like Allen," Lenalee sniffled. "I want him to be our mommy!"

"I want Allen-nanny to be our mommy too!" Lavi bawled. Allen felt his shirt become soaked with tears and snot. He felt tired and drained all of a sudden even though it had only been hours since he had been given care of the children.

I never knew how hard it was to take care of kids. Allen thought. He felt even more reverence for the apparition father in his imagination. Surely the father of the twins had an immense amount of patience to deal with them.

He went to the table and searched from two napkins. He held them to their noses.

"Blow," he commanded. Lavi and Lenalee stopped and did as Allen asked. Their combined blows sounded like twin foghorns and made Allen laugh. "All better?"

Both of them nodded slowly but their faces told him everything.

Allen hugged them both. "There, there. I'm still your nanny so I'll be here for as long as you want."

"Really?" Lenalee brightened a little. "Forever?"

"Really," Allen repeated firmly.

"Pinky promise?" Lavi asked, holding out his pinky.

"Yeah," Allen grinned, and hooked his own pinky with Lavi's. He stood up all of a sudden and clapped his gloved hands together. "Now who wants to go out and play?"

"Me!" both Lenalee and Lavi shouted at the same time.

"We don't want to take a nap!" Lavi scowled. Lenalee held her green ball to her chest and mimicked her brother's expression. Nice nanny/ future mommy or not, Lavi and Lenalee hated bedtime with as much passion as breakfast time and there was nothing Allen could do to persuade them to sleep.

Allen had tried picking them up but they sat firmly on the ground and refused to move. He tried bribing them with promises of more playtime when they woke up but Lavi pointed out that they could play now and Allen's compromise fell at his feet. He tried sheer begging because his pride couldn't have been more bruised than having children doubt his gender but the twins weren't persuaded.

Allen collapsed on the couch from exhaustion. Lenalee and Lavi sulked with petulant faces. Usually their nannies gave up by now or got so aggravated that they stormed out of the room and left them to put their newest prank in place.

Allen sat up as if a revelation hit him upside the head. The twins stared at him curiously.

"Do you have a piano in the house?" Allen asked hopefully.

Lenalee and Lavi exchanged confused glances and telepathic looks. They both nodded and took Allen's hand. Down a few corridors and up a few staircases later, Allen found himself standing at a pair of white double doors. The doors were covered with carvings of a war scene. Allen's eyes widened and he examined the carving; it seemed to be about two sides: one with demons and another with warriors in robes of some type. Each demon look about the same except for a few in the back. One man was exceptionally fat, Allen noted, and had the largest yet most menacing grin he had ever seen. On the other side, Allen could see that each warrior had a different weapon: one had a hammer that looked like it had fire spewing from it, one had boots that looked as if they were propelling her into the air, and yet another had an arm that was a huge claw that blocked his face from view.

They look like Lenalee and Lavi! Allen noted with a stagger.

"That's me and Lenalee as grown-ups!" Lavi pointed at the man with the hammer and the woman with the boots.

"That's Daddy!" Lenalee squealed and pointed at a carving of a man with long hair, holding a sword and slashing some ball-shaped monster with cannons protruding out of its body.

"Yeah!" Lavi nodded. "Tiedoll- and Panda-jiji carved this for us. Daddy said he saw this in a dream once!"

"It's umm... very detailed and very pretty," Allen replied with trepidation. Lavi must have noticed the tone of his voice because he ushered Allen towards the door.

"The mean lady got a piano and put it in here," Lavi explained.

"Mean lady?" Allen voiced out but didn't get any further as Lavi stood back and allowed Allen to push open the ornate double doors.

It was a huge ballroom with crystal chandeliers and marble flooring and in the corner, there was a white grand piano. Lights bounced off of its lacquered lid from the floor to ceiling windows that made little fragmented rainbows on the floor.

"It's for dec-... dec-decoration," Lenalee pronounced slowly, scrunching her face in concentration at the hard word she was trying to say.

Lenalee and Lavi hopped up onto the sofa and watched with rapt attention as Allen opened the piano lid and tested out the keys. The sound rang all the way across the room, making it sound loud and grand. He adjusted the seat a little and turned to the twins.

"Would you like to hear something?" Allen asked though he already knew the answer. Both children nodded quickly and with anticipation.

His fingers positioned themselves on the keys and he launched himself into a lullaby he had composed himself as a young child.

Song after song, most of them soft tunes or lullabies, he played until his fingers ached and until he could see the twins slowly drift to sleep. Allen stopped, the music ceasing as if cut by a knife, and padded quietly to the sofa. He gently picked both of the children up, tucked them under his chin, and headed for their room.

Inside were two beds, one on each side of the wall. One side of the room was bright green while the other side was cheerily purple. Toys and books littered the ground and it took a huge amount of effort to navigate around the room without tripping.

Both Lenalee and Lavi whined and whimpered when he tried to separate them and put them in their respective bed. In the end, he gave up and pushed the beds together to form a double bed.

Allen smiled gently when both children stared at him with sleepy eyes. He set them down and pulled the blanket over them.

"Go to sleep now," Allen whispered. He had tucked Lenalee in and was about to leave after tucking in Lavi when Lavi grabbed his hand. Allen stopped and gave him an inquiring look.

"Allen-nanny," Lavi said hesitantly, small cherubic voice laced with sleep. "You're… not a bad nanny."

That single line made Allen's heart soar. A broad smile made its way on Allen's face and his cheeks turned bright pink with joy.

"Thank you, Lavi," Allen answered, happiness barely restrained in his voice.

Lenalee made a small whining noise from her side of the room and Allen went to check on her side. Like Lavi, she grabbed his hand and looked at his through half-lidded eyes.

"Will you stay with us, Allen?" Lenalee asked sleepily. Allen's silver orbs softened. The child was teetering on the verge of sleep, big violet eyes drooping ever so slowly. Her hold on his hand slackened ever so slightly.

"Of course," Allen replied, smoothing her beautiful black hair down. "Now go to sleep."

"Stay with us, Allen-nanny?" Lavi murmured. "Will you still be here when we get up?"

"I'll be right here when you wake up," Allen assured. Both children grabbed his hands, one in each and after Allen gave them dozens of reassurances, they closed their eyes. He settled himself comfortably on the edge of the bed. Even when they were fast asleep and Allen felt his legs go numb, he couldn't bring himself to leave their side.

Kanda came home and was mildly surprised that there was no screaming, crying, or spouting mess of any sort in his house. He slowly set his keys on the table and waited for the incoming screams of Lenalee and Lavi as they ran away from their new nanny but that never came. The mansion was eerily silent.

Warily, he checked all the rooms and found them all to be in one piece. Whoever Cross had recommended had either been so shitty that she had quit as soon as she saw the children or so fucking fantastic that she was able to calm them down enough not to wreck the mansion. Personally, Kanda thought it was the former and smirked at the thought.

He entered the children's room to find a small boy (or girl?) sleeping by Lavi's and Lenalee's bedsides. Their beds had been pushed close again to form a double bed (something they always did on the sly) and both the boy's (of girl's) hands were each taken by Lavi and Lenalee.

What made Kanda twitch though was the boy's (or girl's) appearance. Hair as white as fresh snow covered the person's pale face which was marked by an ugly scar that ran across from the person's brow to his/her left cheek. The person wore white gloves despite the warm weather, Kanda noted, obviously to hide something. In short, this person was a freak.

At the sound of the door opening, the boy (or girl? He still couldn't tell) stirred and stared at him with groggy chrome-plated eyes.

"Good morning sir," he (Kanda decided it was a boy by the deep voice) greeted. "You must be Kanda Yu."

He made a move to stand up but Lenalee whimpered when he tried to extricate his hand from hers. Allen smiled apologetically and gently removed his hand from hers and Lavi's. He got up and winced when his limbs popped back in place. Allen stretched and elicited more popping sounds as Kanda sneered in disgust and left the room. Allen blinked in confusion and shrugged his shoulders. He walked out and shut the door as Kanda waited for him in the hall.

"Hello, I'm Allen Walker, your new nanny," Allen introduced and held out a hand. Kanda stared at it with an expression he could not read but Allen was not discouraged.

Here was the celebrated father of the beautiful, sweet, kind little children he was taking care of. Sure the scowl was a bit off-putting but Allen was never one for first impressions. He was sure that Kanda was the nicest person in the world. His children were testament of how kind and fatherly he could be.

"What the fuck is a moyashi freak like you doing with my children?" Kanda snapped, unbridled anger etched on his face.

Say what now? Allen thought with bewildered eyes. The only thing was, he had said it aloud too and by the looks of it, his new employer was about to deck him in the face.

Holy shit...


	3. Chapter 3: My Evil Manager, the Loving Parent

Allen had imagined welcoming smiles and formal introductions. He had imagined a tired yet thankful smile on a weary, age-lined face but instead he was greeted with this, this sex god in a business suit! Allen turned bright red internally, holding his face in his hands. He could not believe that he just mentally called his boss a sex god.

Kanda was almost the exact opposite of Allen. Slim, angular features made up Kanda's face whereas Allen's was soft and aristocratic. Dark cobalt eyes contrasted with his own monochrome eyes and it made Allen wonder how such menacing eyes could look down softly at his children. Kanda had a muscular and tall figure, showing years of obvious training while Allen's was lean and lithe due to malnourishment at a small age.

Distracted by Kanda, he barely noticed the fist coming toward his face.

"Gah!" Allen yelped and ducked.

Allen fluidly dodged Kanda's fist as it sailed past his head. Years of avoiding wine bottles that Cross had thrown at him endowed him with fast reflexes. As he felt Kanda's fist go past his head, he shot his hand up and yanked Kanda's wrist forward, using the older male's momentum against him. Normally a person would stumble and Allen would hear loud, uneven stomps but he didn't.

Allen turned around quickly, facing Kanda as one would face a sparring opponent. He could tell that Kanda had training in swordsmanship and possibly other martial arts when he observed the other male's stance with a critical eye.

"Fucking beansprout," Kanda snarled, reeling back again. "What the hell are you doing here?" Allen's eyes sharpened and he caught Kanda's hand.

"It's not what it looks like!" Allen shouted, panicking slightly. He gripped Kanda's fist and tried to push him away but Kanda wouldn't budge.

_It's like he's made of bloody steel or something!_ Allen thought with alarm. His arm shook with the force Kanda put behind the punch and he fought to keep Kanda immobile.

"I'm asking you one more time," Kanda said slowly, narrowing his eyes at him. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

Allen sputtered, the words barely registering in his mind when Kanda's other hand headed for his face. Clearly, Kanda was not waiting for any answers. He blocked it and turned in one sharp movement, elbowing Kanda in the stomach.

"You stupid idiot!" Kanda growled, balling his fists together. "I will fucking kill you and bring you back to that sorry ass excuse of an inventor!"

He would not go back to Cross because anything he faced from his master was a thousand times more painful than what this person would inflict on him. "I-I can explain! I'm the new nanny!" Allen exclaimed, waving his arms frantically. "I'm here because my master, Cross sent me over!"

Allen shut his eyes and turned away when he charged at him again.

Kanda stopped, staring at him incredulously. He lowered his fist. "That lazy ass bastard? You're the 'perfect' person he recommended?"

_Perfect?_ Allen snorted in his head and rolled his eyes. _That bastard would never call_ me _perfect._

"Oh, you know him?" Allen asked dryly.

"Shit," Kanda cursed, looking almost apologetic as he drew back. "You're just a gender-challenged beansprout."

The words "gender-challenged" echoed repeatedly in Allen's ears. He froze up and stared wide-eyed at Kanda who was making his way toward Lenalee and Lavi's bedroom.

"Gender-challenged?" Allen squeaked. His anger flared and he glared at Kanda. " _Excuse_ me?"

"You heard me," Kanda growled, ignoring him in favor of opening the door to the twins' room, "Or are you deaf too?"

No one insulted him like that. Allen's rain-colored eyes turned as sharp as steel.

"You're one to talk, you cross-gendered tranny he-she," Allen retorted, silver pools gazing at the other coolly.

Kanda wheeled around and Allen flinched when a glare that could freeze Hell itself centered on him.

"Shut you ugly mouth, bean," Kanda snapped. "I should just fire you on the spot!"

Instantly, Allen's eyes widened and he quieted. He actually really liked working here. It was better than gambling any day and though he tried not to, he loved Lenalee and Lavi. He was never close to anyone save for his foster father Mana and even then, he had lost Mana. Living with Cross had turned him bitter and he closed off his emotions in order to survive the world he now lived in.

Seeing Lenalee and Lavi though, changed everything. He had never felt so loved and needed when the twins stared up at him. He felt possibly, maybe he could be someone to them and that thought made Allen's heart warm.

"Yu-papa?" "Daddy?"

Both adults turned around and stared at two little children padding their way out of their room. Lavi yawned, rubbing his tired green eyes with his fists. Lenalee held onto the hem of her brother's shirt and stared cutely up at them, curious about the interaction between her beloved father and her beloved nanny.

"Lavi, Lenalee," Allen remarked automatically, eyes brightening at the sight of the twins. "Good morning."

"Daddy?" Lenalee repeated timidly. She shuffled her feet on the ground and pulled her brother with her to their father.

"I'm home," Kanda said gently. He knelt down as they clambered into his arms. Lenalee immediately reached up to pat her father's face in welcome and Lavi, still a bit sleepy from nap time, snuggled into the crook of Kanda's neck. Kanda embraced them tightly and offered both of them a small smile.

Allen's jaw almost dropped as he watched the scene with astonishment. Just moments ago, Kanda was about to pummel him to death and here he was, so kind and loving to his children that it almost seemed as if another person had taken the place of the rude and menacing man before.

"Daddy, daddy!" Lenalee chirped, tugging on her father's shirt. "Today was fun!"

"Really?" Kanda asked incredulously and shot daggers at Allen who tensed under the piercing gaze.

"Yeah!" Lenalee said. "Ask Lavi! Lavi will tell you!"

Lenalee stared with curious eyes at her brother before shaking him gently from across Kanda's arm. Lavi's green eyes opened and Lenalee shot him a meaningful look.

Allen looked flabbergasted as the twins silently communicated between each other. He turned to Kanda who looked calmly and patiently between their inaudible speech as if it were an everyday occurrence. Lavi turned to Allen and shot him a big smile. Instantly, Allen felt the fear melt away into a strange sort of calm. He smiled back reassuringly.

Lavi nodded fervently, full awake now that his twin was. "Yeah, yeah! Allen-nanny loves us a lot! And we like Allen-nanny!"

Lenalee smiled proudly as if an impossible feat had transpired. She stared at Kanda with enough intensity that made Allen question if she really was five years old.

"And he played with us!"

"And he played piano for us!"

"Yeah, it was pretty!"

"And he promised to be with us forever!"

"And he said he'd find-"

"That's enough, Lavi," Allen cut him off abruptly, turning bright red. He thanked his lucky stars when Lavi quieted and stared at Kanda expectantly. One more word out and he really would have lost his job.

Kanda's eyes widened perceptibly. Lavi and Lenalee squirmed in his arms and reached their hands out to Allen.

"Allen-nanny!" they both shouted. "Allen-nanny! We want to go with Allen!" Automatically, Allen came up to him and gently pulled them away from Kanda.

They latched onto Allen and giggled when he bounced them.

Allen smiled as they clung onto his shirt and buried themselves into his neck. He was never good with children but feeling both of their weight in his arms, he was overcome with a soft feeling of love and adoration. He nuzzled Lenalee's baby soft cheek and was rewarded with a loud shriek of laughter. Not one to be left out, Lavi bumped his nose against Allen's cheek in a pantomime of nuzzling that made Allen beam and chuckle.

The twins and Allen turned toward Kanda who was looking at them with a cold, calculating gaze that Allen could not decipher.

"Can Allen-nanny stay with us, Yu-papa?" Lavi asked hopefully, green eyes shining with so much cuteness that it was almost heinous.

"Allen loves us," Lenalee said convincingly. "He wants to stay with us forever!"

She threw out her arms in a large gesture as if it could measure the expanse of 'forever'. Allen almost lost his balance when she moved abruptly but it made him grin to see the twins defending him.

"And he cooks pancakes!" Lavi shrieked joyfully. "I love pancakes! Allen-nanny makes the bestest pancakes in the world!"

Allen flinched when Kanda's glare centered on him again. It was a look that plainly said, "What the _hell_ did you feed my children?".

"Daddy," Lenalee whispered. "We can keep Allen with us, right?" Her bottom lip jutted out and her eyes sparkled with unshed tears.

Kanda tried to pull Lenalee away from Allen but she resisted with a frightened squeak and instead, pulled Kanda so that Allen's head collided with Kanda's shoulder.

"Ow," Allen winced. Lavi followed suit and pulled the other shoulder of Kanda's shirt making Allen collide once more with Kanda. Allen turned bright red when his head stayed planted in the juncture of Kanda's neck and shoulder. He tried to move but the twins held him tightly. He breathed shallowly, afraid that he would piss off Kanda in any way if he breathed any deeper.

Silver orbs peered at Kanda who looked unruffled by the turn of events. Cobalt eyes stared back at him with an apathetic expression as if daring him to say a word about their current position.

"We love Allen-nanny," Lavi sobbed, tears rolling down his pale cherubic face.

"Please let Allen stay," Lenalee whimpered, holding onto her father's shirt and Allen's shirt collar as if her life depended on it. "He's so nice and he loves us very very much and we love him and—and…"

Allen could see Kanda's faltering gaze as he regarded his daughter and his son.

"Fine, the beansprout can stay," he grumbled, defeated. Lenalee and Lavi cheered, tears automatically gone, and let go of Kanda's shirt. Allen stumbled back a few feet, his cheeks stained pink and his lungs heaving for air.

"Allen-nanny!" Lavi shouted worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine, Lavi," Allen said, his voice hitting higher octaves than usual. "I'm perfectly fine!"

Lenalee giggled, "You sound funny, Allen!"

They both imitated Allen, sending their voices into high-pitched squeaks and then laughing out loud. Allen blushed.

Kanda came forward and the twins allowed themselves to be taken from Allen's arms.

"Go and play while I talk to your new nanny," Kanda said, turning to each of them. Lenalee and Lavi nodded, giving their father twin grins.

He lowered them down and gave them a little push toward one of the corridors. Lavi and Lenalee smiled brightly at their father and chased each other down the corridor. Their little feet made tapping sounds as they bounded for the yard.

"Listen, beansprout," Kanda sneered once the children were out of earshot.

Allen groaned inwardly and prepared himself mentally; this was going to be hell. He took a deep breath and schooled his expression to the one he used during poker games, cool and bright with a smile that could disarm anyone. He hoped that by showing a positive look, he could alleviate some of the anger at him but for some reason, he could see that this wasn't the case. If anything, Kanda looked even more ready to chop off his head when he put up his mask.

"Wipe that smug grin off your ugly face!" Kanda snapped.

Allen frowned as the smile slipped off his face.

"For some odd reason that I cannot imagine, my children like you so you can stay but if I hear any discrepancy I will shove that old man body of yours six feet under the ground where it's supposed to belong," Kanda snarled.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Allen snorted, rolling his eyes. "I don't have a lot of experience with children but I love Lenalee and Lavi. I would sooner stop paying Cross's debts and suffer his wrath and harm the twins."

"Regardless," Kanda said. "I don't deliver empty threats. I will end you if you so much as harm a hair on my children's heads."

The look on the man's face surprised Allen. He had never met such a protective and loving parent as Kanda. It made him smile inside when he saw past the anger.

"Wow," Allen regarded lightly. "You must really love them to be so gentle to them but an ass to everyone else."

"S-Shut up, beansprout!" Kanda shouted at him. He had obviously hit a sensitive nerve. "You're relieved of your job today. You can go to your room or whatever. Any other concerns you have, you can go to Marie." Allen could see a light, barely visible pink blush across the other's cheeks. Kanda stormed past Allen and went to find the twins, leaving him with his thoughts.

Allen bit his lip as his cheeks turned warm. He could not believe the nerve of this man! Emotions of envy, hate, and anger churned in his stomach, making his heart twist uncomfortably in his chest.

"It's okay to say you love your children," Allen whispered quietly, more to himself than the retreating figure in the distance. "It's okay for you, who has everything, to love them."

_He's an incredible parent._ Allen thought.

* * *

Kanda stormed across the corridors and into the backyard. It irked him that the children loved such a whiny, girly beansprout who obviously had no training in taking care of children. It irked him even more when Allen had questioned his love for his children. The stupid beansprout had no idea what he had gone through to gain custody of the twins and how he had suffered to rise to the top of the electronics market in order to provide for his two children.

Kanda was the head CEO of Mugen Co. which specialized in electronics. With Cross Marian, who Kanda grudgingly admitted was a competent inventor though a lousy person in general, he had patented golem phones, portable phones that were not only wireless but also hands free. He had also patented their world-famous Exorcist computer brand. Their sleek and innovative design was top of the line and their antivirus sweeper was the best in the nation if not the world. The two patents had launched his company to fame and now he was making enough to provide for his children and then some.

Moyashi, Kanda thought with anger, had no right to question how much Kanda had given up to see his two precious angels happy.

While he could not deny his children anything, he would make sure to fire the idiotic beansprout when they tired of him.

"Daddy!" Lenalee squealed, running up to her father. He gave her a soft smile and knelt down to catch her into an embrace. "Welcome home!"

Lavi followed his twin and ran into his arms, plowing into Kanda with enough force to make him lose his balance.

Kanda fell gently on the grass, careful to make sure he landed on his back so that Lenalee would not be hurt. Lenalee and Lavi giggled as they clambered onto their father's stomach.

"Yu-papa!" Lavi beamed brightly. "Welcome home!"

"Glad to be home, usagi," Kanda said fondly, ruffling Lavi's red hair. "How was your day?"

Kanda sat up and set Lenalee on the ground, where she joined her brother who was playing with the green ball.

"It was super duper fun!" Lavi grinned, gesturing wildly with his arms.

"Really?" Kanda asked again slowly. "Was the beansprout mean to you? Did he hurt you?"

Lenalee and Lavi gasped as if he had said something that was blasphemous. They clutched each other for support which made Kanda almost laugh.

"Allen would never hurt us!" Lenalee shouted with wide violet eyes.

"Allen-nanny is super duperly nice!" Lavi exclaimed. "We like him."

Lavi looked at the ball and then at Lenalee. She smiled back at him and nodded, holding out her hands. He rolled the ball toward Lenalee who bent down and caught it between her arms.

"He played us the piano until we went to sleep," she said softly. "It was really pretty, like the lullabies in the box Grandpa Tiedoll gave us." She rolled the ball to Lavi who caught it.

"Do you mean your music box?" Kanda questioned with surprise. The music box that Tiedoll had given them contained complex pieces of classical music. So the brat knew some music…

Lenalee nodded.

"Allen-nanny made us a promise too," Lavi spoke. "He said he will stay with us forever and ever. He will never leave us."

It made Kanda's heart twist to see how much love his children had missed out on because of their absent mother. Thinking about their mother made his heart turn dark and a pang of anger and hatred went through it.

Their mother was the reason he had to scrape and claw his way to the top of the electronics industry and why he had fought tooth-and-nail for custody of the children. She had made them suffer through so much and it hurt to see that Lenalee and Lavi would never know a mother's love for her children.

He gathered Lenalee and Lavi in his arms, holding them tightly and causing Lavi to drop the ball. Lenalee and Lavi looked at each other confused by their father's odd and sudden behavior. They hugged him though, sensing the situation.

"The beansprout can stay for as long as you want," Kanda sighed tiredly.

"Yay!" both Lenalee and Lavi cheered.

It looked like "Allen-nanny" was going to stay for a long while. Kanda frowned at the thought.


End file.
